The class of 2025 is getting ready for their final matric exams on 21 October, and worries about South Africa's persistent school dropout problem are very real.
While over 715,000 learners are registered for this year’s exams, almost 450,000 have already left the system since starting Grade 1 in 2014, highlighting a persistent challenge in the country’s education sector.
As students across the province receive uplifting messages from political parties and community leaders, Siviwe Gwarube, the Education Minister, will be asked questions orally in Parliament.
Roger Solomons, Build One South Africa (BOSA) spokesperson, said that on October 15 the party launched a nationwide accountability campaign, “Where Are They Now?”, to expose the full scale of South Africa’s school dropout crisis. The campaign aims to hold Gwarube accountable for the hundreds of thousands of young people who will not reach the exam room.
He added that while around 715,000 learners are registered to write their matric exams this year, more than 1.1 million were enrolled when this cohort started Grade 1 in 2014.
“It is chilling that approximately 450,000 learners have disappeared from the system before even reaching their final year,” Solomons said.
He noted that these dropouts represent thousands of young South Africans whose stories are often overlooked in celebrations of top achievers and pass rates. Many left school because of hunger, poverty, teenage pregnancy, violence, or frustration with a failing education system.
Solomons described them as “South Africa’s forgotten generation,” who deserve accountability and answers.
He said the party will raise the issue directly with Gwarube in Parliament on Tuesday during oral questions.
Solomons highlighted urgent interventions that could help address the crisis, including reducing class sizes, improving teacher support, and providing psychosocial and nutritional assistance to vulnerable learners.
He went on to say that reversing budget cuts to education, providing affordable transportation, and making investments in school safety are also essential to keeping more kids in the classroom.
In order to monitor all students from Grades 1 through 12, BOSA has demanded that Gwarube and the Department of Basic Education create a national learner tracking system, publish annual dropout data by province, gender, and grade level, and present a plan for reintegrating students who have already left the system.
BOSA leader Mmusi Maimane said the country can not continue to ignore the growing dropout crisis.
“We cannot celebrate a 30% pass mark while ignoring the 50% of learners who never even make it to matric. Every year, hundreds of thousands of children disappear from our schools, and the government doesn’t even bother to track them.”
He added that the narrative around school dropouts needs to change, saying it is not the learners who have given up, but a system that continues to fail them.
“The truth is that our government has given up on them. Schools that are overcrowded, underfunded, unsafe, and unsupported push learners out. The minister owes the nation an honest account of how the system is failing our children.”
Speaking to The Star, Basic Education spokesperson Lukhanyo Vangqa said the Department of Basic Education is taking steps to address the dropout crisis.
He confirmed that the minister, during her matric pass announcement in January, announced plans to introduce systems and mechanisms to better monitor learners throughout their schooling career.
“This work is now underway to introduce these tracking systems,” he added.
In response to concerns over the high learner dropout rate, Vangqa said that South Africa’s school participation rates are now on par with other middle-income countries, while school completion rates have steadily improved to levels comparable with nations such as China, Turkey, and Brazil.
He said that access to education in South Africa has expanded significantly, exceeding that of most African countries and even some Asian economic powerhouses like India.
“This progress has been made possible by initiatives such as the National School Nutrition Programme, which has reduced hunger, boosted attendance, and improved learning outcomes,” Vangqa said.
He added that the introduction of no-fee schools has ensured that children from poor households are not excluded from education, while the learner pregnancy policy has safeguarded girls' right to continue schooling.
“Over 90% of girls who fall pregnant now return to school to complete their studies,” he said.
Vangqa also noted that research shows the strongest predictor of dropout is weak foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
“To reduce dropout, we must strengthen the foundations of learning. That is why the department is strategically reorienting the basic education system to improve early learning outcomes. When we get the foundations right, we will reduce grade repetition, address overage learners, lower dropout rates, and increase uptake in gateway subjects,” he explained.
Vangqa said the Gwarube has consistently emphasised that matric results should not be viewed as the sole measure of success. She aims to shift the education system toward assessing performance at all levels, from school readiness in Grade R to reading proficiency in Grade 4 and academic progress by Grade 9.
Meanwhile, political parties have extended their best wishes to the class of 2025 as they begin their final exams.
ActionSA Gauteng praised learners for their hard work and resilience: “As the 2025 matric final examinations begin across our province, ActionSA Gauteng would like to extend its warmest wishes and heartfelt encouragement to every learner writing their final papers across Gauteng,” the party said.
They described this milestone as “the culmination of twelve years of hard work, discipline, and perseverance,” acknowledging the challenges learners have faced, from disruptions in the education system to personal hardships.
The Executive Mayor of Ekurhuleni also extended well wishes to Grade 12 learners. With more than 39,000 learners in the city and over 700,000 nationwide beginning exams tomorrow, the mayor said: “Your perseverance over the years shows that you have what it takes to overcome this important challenge and step confidently into the future.”
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng echoed the sentiment, noting that learners have faced challenges including overcrowded classrooms, infrastructure delays, and disruptions to school nutrition.
“Despite these obstacles, learners have remained steadfast in their pursuit of academic excellence.”
The party also expressed gratitude to educators, parents, and support staff for their continued guidance during exams.
The Star
masabata.mkwananzi@inl.co.za